- Been there—sealed up our 70s ranch and it was like living in a Ziploc bag for a while.
- Cracking windows helped, but yeah, not ideal for the energy bill.
- Ended up installing a basic HRV (heat recovery ventilator). Not cheap, but it made a huge difference—fresh air without losing all the heat.
- Honestly, I’d take a little upfront hassle over constant drafts and sky-high bills. Just gotta balance air quality with efficiency... not always easy.
Funny, I had the same “Ziploc bag” feeling after tightening up our old split-level. It was wild how stuffy it got, even with all the fancy insulation. I’ve heard HRVs are game changers for that, but I’ve always wondered—did you notice a bump in your electric bill after running it, or did the energy savings from less heating/cooling just balance it out?
I’m torn because I love the idea of fresh air without all the drafts (and dust), but I’m also wary of adding another thing to maintain. Did you have to mess with filters or anything? Or is it pretty much set-it-and-forget-it? Sometimes I wonder if we overthink this stuff... but then again, waking up without that “stale air headache” is hard to argue with.
Wrapping My House Up Like a Sweater—Worth the Hassle?
- We did the same thing with our 1960s ranch—sealed it up tight, added insulation, and suddenly it felt like living in a Tupperware container. The air got stale fast, especially in winter.
- Installed an HRV about two years ago. Here’s what I noticed:
- Electric bill: Maybe a slight uptick, but honestly, it was hard to separate from normal seasonal changes. The HRV itself doesn’t draw much power (ours is rated around 40-60 watts running), so it’s like running a couple of light bulbs.
- Heating/cooling savings: Hard to quantify, but the house definitely holds temp better now. Less draft means the furnace cycles less, so I’d say it balances out, maybe even tips in favor of savings if you’re diligent about air sealing.
- Maintenance: Filters need checking every few months. Ours are easy to pop out and vacuum or rinse. Not quite “set it and forget it,” but not a big deal either. I put a reminder on my phone and just do it when I change the furnace filter.
- Fresh air: Night and day difference. No more waking up with that weird “old house” headache or dry throat. Also, less dust floating around, which surprised me.
- I get the hesitation about adding another thing to maintain. But compared to the hassle of opening windows in January (and losing all that heat), it’s a pretty low-effort tradeoff.
- One thing I didn’t expect: the HRV actually made the house feel less “hermetically sealed.” It’s subtle, but you notice it after a while—air just feels cleaner, less heavy.
- If you’re on the fence, maybe see if you can borrow a CO2 monitor from someone. We did that before and after installing the HRV, and the difference was pretty obvious.
- Sometimes I do wonder if we overthink this stuff, but then again, waking up feeling better is hard to argue with. And honestly, I’d rather swap a filter every few months than go back to the old stuffy days.
I get the appeal of sealing everything up, but sometimes I think we go a bit overboard. You mentioned,
In my experience, a little controlled leakage—like trickle vents or even just not obsessing over every tiny gap—can keep things fresh without adding another system to maintain. Not saying HRVs aren’t great, but for some folks, simpler solutions might do the trick, especially if you’re not sensitive to air quality changes. Sometimes old houses just want to breathe a bit.“the HRV actually made the house feel less ‘hermetically sealed.’”
I get where you’re coming from—there’s a certain charm to old houses just breathing on their own. I’ve renovated a few places where we tried to chase every draft, and honestly, it felt like fighting the house’s personality. One time, after sealing up everything super tight, we actually had more condensation issues than before. Ended up cracking windows anyway just to get some airflow. Sometimes a little imperfection is part of the comfort, you know?
